Coffin



(No Model.)

J. MAXWELL.

. GOFPIN.

009. Tmmmd Mar. 2, 1886.

m. E. E

W/T/VF55E5',

Nita STATES AT NT FFICEG JOHN MAXWELL, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK.

COFFIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,009, dated March 2, 1886.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN MAXWELL, of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Burial-Casket-Lid Fasteners, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, .is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consistsin a novel construction of a fastening device for the lid of a burial-casket, which device is very convenient, effective, and at the same time nearly or quite noiseless in its operation.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings,wherein Figure I is a vertical transverse section of the upper part of a burialcasket with the lid in an open position to better illustrate my improvements. Fig. II is a top plan view of a section of the open casket,- taken at the place of the attachment of the lid. Fig. III is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved casket-lid fastener. Fig. IV is a detached plan view of that part of the lidfastener which is attachedto thelid; and Fig. V is a transverse section of a modification of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

0 represents the casket,and L the lid thereof. The sides of the casket I provide with mortises c c in the top edge, and over said mortises I place metal platesA A, and firmly secure the same in position by screws passing vertically through the plates and into the side plates of the casket. These plates A, I pro vide each with a slot, a, over the mortise c, and parallel with the side of the casket, as shown in Fig. II of the drawings. The under side of the marginal portion of the lid L, I provide with a corresponding number of mortises,e e,coinciding with the mortises 0 c aforesaid, and from the top of the marginal portion of the lid down into each of the mortises e is extended a slot, .9, arranged parallel with the side of the casket. To the under side of the lid across the mortise eis secured a metal plate, I), which is provided with a slot, f, 00- inciding with the slot at of the plate-A before described. Upon the upper side of the plate 6 slides a plate, B, which is guided in aline parallel with the slot f by guides 11 12, attached to the plate Z). To the slide B is attached a hook, h, which projects through the slot f, and is thus adapted to enter the slot at of the plate A, the shank of said hook being of such a length as to allow the hook proper to engage the under side of the plate A when the lid is closed, as represented in Fig. III of the drawv l denotes a knob mounted on top of the marginal portion of the lid, and having its shank m extending through the slot 8, and its lower end screw-threaded and enteringacorrespondingly-screw-threaded hole in the slide B. By means of said knob the slide is moved to carry the. hook it in and out of engagement with the plate A.

In order to render the described lid-fastener as near as possible noiseless in its operation, and to partially lock the slide in its extreme positions, I provide the edge of said slide with recesses 0' r, and attach to the plate I) a spring, 35, which bears with its free end against the recessed edge of the slide B, so as to prevent lateral movement of the same, and thus prevent it from rattling, and in moving the slide longitudinally the end of the aforesaid spring drops into one of the recesses r, and thereby partially locks the same in one of its extreme positions.

In burial-caskets which do not permit of the arrangement of the knobs Z on top of the marginal portion of the lid I make the slot shorizontally to the outer edge of the lid, and extend a shank or stem, m, from the slide B horizontally through the aforesaid slot,and'attach to the outer end of said stem asuitable knob, Z, as represented in Fig. V of the drawings.

The described lid-fasteners may be employed either on both sides of the casket or only on one side thereof. When applied to one side only, the lid is to be connected to the opposite side of the casket'by a suitable hinge, as illustrated in the annexed drawings.

Having described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The withiirdescribed casket-lid fastener, consisting of the plate A,secured t0 the top of the side of the casket and provided with the slot a, the plate 11, secured to the lid and provided with the slot f,the slide B on said plate,

ICO

the hook h, projecting from the slide and vided with the mortise c, and the plate A, proadapted to enter the slot a and engage the under side of the plate A, and a manipulatingknob attached to the slide, substantially as described and shown.

2. The combination of the casket provided at the top of its side with the mortise c, the plate A,secured to the casket over the aforesaid mortise and provided with the slot a, arranged parallel with the side of the casket,the lid L, provided with the mortisee and with the slot 8, extending to the mortise,the plate b,seoured to the under side of the lid over the mortise e and provided with the slotf, coinciding with the slot a, the slide B upon the plate I), the hook h, projecting; from the slide through the slotf, and theknob Z, having the shank m, extending through the slot s,and attached to the slide B,all constructed and combined substantially in the mannerspecified and shown.

3. The combination, with the casket provided with the slot a, of the lid L, provided with the mortise e and slot 8, the plate b, provided with the slot f, the guides n n, attached to the plate I), the slide B, moving in said guides and provided with the recessesrr, the spring t,bearing in said recesses, the hook h,projecting from the slide through the slotf, and the knob Z, having the shank 1% extending through the slot 8 and attached to the slide, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal,in the presence. of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 14th day of December, 1885.

JOHN MAXWELL. [1 5.]

Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. Guam, 0. H. DUELL. 

